“Mr. President, thank you very much for your warm hospitality,” wrote UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev as he met the Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić during his official visit. It marked the first time the Dagestani star stepped into Serbia, and he didn’t arrive quietly.

Within hours, his presence was already turning the heads of the nation’s heavyweights.

Re-sharing a photo of Islam Makhachev gifting Serbia’s President Vučić the pair of gloves he used to win the welterweight belt last year, Milos Šarčev, ex Mr. Olympia, and IFBB professional bodybuilder, narrated the entire story of what happened during the meet.

Tagging the Serbian MMA Federation’s handle, Šarčev expressed how President Vučić admired Makhachev’s presence and called him an inspiration to the youth.

“Also present at the meeting were Minister of Sport Zoran Gajić, Minister for Public Investments Darko Glišić, President of the Serbian MMA Federation Luka Nikolić, President of the Serbian Boxing Federation Nenad Borovčanin, and Arena Channels Group director Nebojša Žugić,” Šarčev further captioned in Serbian.

The Serbian bodybuilder further revealed that they discussed making changes to MMA in Serbia, encouraging local talent to follow a development pathway similar to the Dagestanis. And, guess what, Islam Makhachev is chiming on to the same tune.

Islam Makhachev's Thoughts on His Serbia Visit

According to the announcements of the Boxing Federation of Serbia, Islam Makhachev will be on a two-day visit to the country, where, apart from his official engagements, he will be discussing "plans for the further development and promotion of boxing and MMA sports" and "future projects and collaborations."

Who wouldn’t want to take advice from a man who hasn’t lost a single match in a decade? Serbian officials rolled out a star-studded reception for Makhachev, and the champion was clearly impressed. “Very nice. Your president invited us and welcomed us very well. It's a pleasure to be here,” said Makhachev in his conversation with Telegraf.rs.

Apart from that, Makhachev also had a message for the Serbian fans: “I know that I have a lot of fans in Serbia. MMA is popular in Serbia, and even today the European Championships is held here. I just want to say thank you to all the people who support me around the world, especially in Serbia."

How the UFC champ's presence affects the MMA scene in Serbia now remains to be seen.

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Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Joyita Das